Invest in people, not prisons

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The people of Vermont support criminal justice reform, and four in five want to reduce our overreliance on prisons by investing in community-based alternatives.

Policymakers have responded and have reduced our prison population by about 40 percent from its peak over a decade ago. Still, there is much more we need to do to ensure our communities have the resources they need and that prisons are used only as a last resort.

Multiple proposals under consideration in the state legislature would jeopardize that progress. These are paired with plans to expand Vermont's prison system – at enormous costs to individuals and taxpayers – while ignoring the opportunity to advance thoughtful, evidence-driven reforms to reduce our overreliance on prisons and create safer, more equitable communities for everyone.

The proposal to replace and expand the Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility (CRCF) is expected to cost more than $80 million – and additional prison construction could cost taxpayers more than $500 million over the next decade.

The legislature should reject the administration’s proposal because it is too large, too restrictive, too costly, and envisions a world in which we lock up even more Vermonters than we do today.

As we reimagine the future of our criminal legal system, we need to focus on advancing evidence-driven policy reforms, and funding investments that enable our communities to thrive, and take action to improve the conditions facing incarcerated people today.

Contact your state senator(s) and representative(s) today and urge them to reject the administration's proposal to expand Vermont's prison system.

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Subject

I am writing to ask you to reject the administration’s prison construction proposal because it is too big, too restrictive, too costly, and envisions locking up more Vermonters than we do today.

This proposal comes at a time when our communities are calling for critical public investments, such as addressing extreme housing insecurity, the opioid epidemic, mental health needs, and so much more - all of which would directly mitigate root causes of crime and incarceration in our state.

Vermont has achieved a 40 percent reduction in the state prison population. As we plan for the future of Vermont's criminal legal system, we should build on this progress - not undermine it.

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I ask you to reject proposals for harsher criminal penalties and more incarceration and instead to prioritize investments in people, not prisons. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

[First Name] [Last Name]

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Invest in people, not prisons

Act Now

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